[Jeff Higgins]

Rats... that kinda sucks about the spring. One trick I learned when assembling little things with little springs is to do it inside a clear plastic bag, like a gallon sized zip lock baggie. It makes it much harder for the little pieces to plan and execute their dastardly escape.

I'm no fan of dry lubes on firearms. I'm no fan of gunned up internals, either, which is why I quit using dedicated "gun oils" many years ago. Every last one I ever tried eventually dried and gummed up whatever it was in. Mobil 1 just doesn't do that. I have firearms last used, cleaned, and lubricated with Mobil 1 so long ago I'm too embarrassed to say just how long, but trust me, it's an awfully long time, and they just don't gum up.

I use Ballistol by the quart, but like WD40, I do not consider it to be a "lubricant" per se (nor a bore cleaner, for that matter). In a pinch (like in a German trench in The Great War), sure, but we have much, much better lubricants/cleaners today. I use it mainly as a stock "refresher" and an anti-rust coating on carbon steel guns. Works great as the last step in cleaning black powder guns, left in the bore to keep them from rusting. Easy to remove when it's time to shoot them again. But boy does that stuff stink - I actually kinda like the smell of most gun solvents and oils (well, maybe not Sweets 7.62 either), but Ballistol is just rank.